Ed Grabianowskihttp://zeppelined.kinja.comnullenThe Three-Headed Sharkraken and All the Other Monsters That Make Pathfinder's Bestiary 5 So Amazinghttps://io9.gizmodo.com/the-three-headed-sharkraken-and-all-the-other-monsters-1747150687

When we previewed some art from Bestiary 5 a few weeks ago, it merely looked like a cool book of monsters. Now that we’ve got our hands on it, we’re convinced that even the most jaded, been-there-done-that gamer is going to need a copy. This is a killer creature collection.

I can never, ever get enough monsters for my RPGs. Never. I will fill entire bookshelves, binders, and hard drives with nothing but monsters. I suspect I’m not alone, so check out this gallery of creatures from the upcoming Pathfinder Bestiary 5.

]]>gamesrpgpathfinderddpathfinder bestiary 5Thu, 19 Nov 2015 18:00:00 GMT1743118775Two Major RPG Books Came Out This Month, and They're Both Surprisingly Crappyhttps://io9.gizmodo.com/two-major-rpg-books-came-out-this-month-and-theyre-bot-1742001057

Two major RPG sourcebooks, Wizards of the Coast’s D&amp;D Sword Coast Adventurer’s Guide and Paizo’s Inner Sea Races for Pathfinder, both came out in the last few weeks! Here’s why you should skip them both, no matter what RPG system you’re using.

]]>gamesroghorrormonstersThu, 22 Oct 2015 15:00:00 GMT1737986094Meet Some of the Terrifying New D&D Monsters in the New Tome of Beastshttps://io9.gizmodo.com/meet-some-of-the-terrifying-new-d-d-monsters-in-the-new-1736650127

Do you want 300 more monsters for your 5E D&amp;D campaign? That’s a rhetorical question, of course you do. We’ve got a cosmic space dragon and an empire of ghouls from the upcoming Tome of Beasts to show you, because monsters are awesome.

Stewart Friesen stepped onto the winner’s podium at the New York State Fairgrounds last Sunday, taking the checkered flag after 200 laps in a big block modified. He was the last person who ever would. They’re tearing down the mile track at Syracuse, and no one is happy about it.

If you like giant robots blasting away at each other in futuristic feudal warfare as much as we do, hang onto your autocannons: Battletech is coming back in a big way as a turn-based, tactical video game.

]]>battletechgamesThu, 1 Oct 2015 15:00:00 GMT1733956310How to Find People to Play D&D Withhttps://io9.gizmodo.com/how-to-find-people-to-play-d-d-with-1732749132

To truly and properly enjoy a role-playing game, you need a group to play with. Finding a group—especially the right group—can be a major hurdle to participating in this really excellent hobby. This guide will help you find fellow gamers no matter your location or age.

Creating an epic, sprawling fantasy series like A Song of Ice and Fire seems like an author’s life’s work, but it’s certainly not the only thing George R.R. Martin has achieved. His short stories and novels were taking us to amazing worlds long before we visited Westeros. Here are some of his best non-Game of Thrones…

Universal Orlando transforms itself into a murderous, terrifying gothic wonderland every fall. This year is the 25th anniversary of Halloween Horror Nights, and it’s filled with iconic scenes from horror history that make the guests victims in their personal horror movies. Here’s how they build their elaborate horror…

It feels like Wizards of the Coast has been relying a little too much on their demon lords as the Big Bads in their adventures and campaigns the last few years. Demon fatigue—it’s a thing! But if you’re going to stick with the demon theme, then what the hell—use all of the demons. And that’s exactly what WotC is doing…

]]>ddrage of demonsout of the abyssgamesThu, 3 Sep 2015 15:00:00 GMT1728418174The Numenera RPG Is Getting Much Weirder and Even Betterhttps://io9.gizmodo.com/the-numenera-rpg-is-getting-much-weirder-and-even-bette-1726803326

If the science-fantasy world of RPG Numenera wasn’t weird enough for you (with its Aeon Priests and forgotten technologies and invisible ziggurats), its creators are planning to take it into space, beneath the oceans, and into other dimensions with Into the Ninth World.

]]>gamesrpgnumenerainto the ninth worldThu, 27 Aug 2015 16:00:00 GMT1726803326Cosplayers and Amateur Horror Directors Will Love This Book of Makeup Techniqueshttps://io9.gizmodo.com/cosplayers-and-amateur-horror-directors-will-love-this-1725228785

If you want to add some realistic wounds to your zombie makeup or just do a better job applying those cosplay elf ears, Hollywood Makeup Lab can guide you step by step through some basic procedures that will make your fantastic creations and creepy monsters come to life.

]]>sfxmakeupmonstersface offhollywood makeup labThu, 20 Aug 2015 15:00:00 GMT1725228785Arena of the Planeswalkers Board Game is Part Heroscape, Part Magic: the Gatheringhttps://io9.gizmodo.com/arena-of-the-planeswalkers-board-game-is-part-heroscape-1723791059

As you stare at the box cover for Arena of the Planeswalkers (and Jace’s leering, vacant face), one question springs to mind: why does the world need a board game based on a card game? Is it for people who like Magic but want to play a game that isn’t Magic but includes some vague themes and ideas from Magic? Is it…

The biggest tabletop gaming convention in North America keeps setting attendance records, and cosplayers show up in full force. This year, hundreds of gamers put on their fantastic finery to show off favorite characters and original creations, and we’ve got the greatest and weirdest for your perusal.

When XCOM 2 comes out this fall, you won’t be defending the Earth from aliens—you’ll be fighting to take it back. The developers gave us a deep look at how two of the new classes will help you overturn the alien new world order.

Quick, tell me what the Justice League is about. What’s that you’re mumbling, something about saving people or fighting evil? Sure, but beyond that, most team comics don’t have a very strong overall theme. That’s not true of the Thunderbolts, Marvel’s pre-eminent team of supervillains pretending to be superheroes

What happens when you feed the text of every Magic card ever made to a deep neural network and ask it to design its own cards? Part genius, part gibberish—and maybe a little poetry. But mostly, it just makes you laugh your ass off.

When the first edition of Blue Rose was published 10 years ago, it found a core audience of gamers that loved its unique take on romantic fantasy—and a few who pushed back against the game’s progressive push for inclusiveness. Now Blue Rose is back, and it’s found a better system and a wider audience.